Summer 2015 Offers New Family Fun “Coaster to Coaster” at U.S. and Canadian Amusement Parks and Attractions

(March 13, 2015) – Amusement parks, water parks, family entertainment centers, museums, zoos, aquariums, science centers, and other attractions across the United States and Canada are rolling out an exciting new lineup of fun in 2015. The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) releases its annual compilation of new attractions opening this year and highlights 2015 trends, including innovative roller coasters, guest-immersive dark rides, and experiences based on classic brands.

Roller coasters opening at theme parks from coast to coast feature the latest incarnations of the guest-favorite thrill ride. Coaster designers have once again pushed innovation to new levels as never-before-seen ways to spin, flip, and speed along the track are unveiled. This year coasters employ new track and launch technology to provide a variety of options for theme park guests.

Dark rides set to immerse guests in the realm of fiction and take them on unforgettable journeys are also opening at several parks. Dark rides typically combine graphics, animatronics, and a conveyance device (car, train, or boat) in an intricately themed indoor environment to transport guests to a different world. Some rides make the guest a part of an incredible story, as they are asked to aid their favorite superheroes, fend off undersea monsters, and more.

New attractions featuring classic brands enable guests to take their fandom to the next level. Pop culture brands including Lego, Crayola, The Harlem Globetrotters, DC Comics, Star Wars, and more appear as familiar pieces of new experiences.

According to the IAAPA Global Theme and Amusement Park Outlook 2014-2018 report, more than 375 million people visit theme parks in the United States and Canada on an annual basis, contributing US$18.8 billion to park revenue.
Below are some of the exciting thrills guests will enjoy this season, organized by country and state or province:

UNITED STATES
ALABAMA

Alabama Splash Adventure in Bessemer, Alabama, opens a revamped version of “Rip Roarin’ Rampage,” a wooden roller coaster that sends guests through multiple turns and drops as they reach top speeds of 56 mph. www.alabamasplash.com@SPLASHADVENTURE

CALIFORNIA

Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, California, debuts a new 3-D interactive dark ride, “Voyage to the Iron Reef.” Guests climb aboard four-person submarine-inspired ride vehicles and embark on the four-minute gaming adventure into the Iron Reef. Equipped with an interactive freeze ray, guests aim for ballooning puffer fish, an iron-clad octopus, and other exciting 3-D creatures as they attempt to save Knott's from a watery doom. Along the way, the submarines navigate 600 feet of track and 11 scenes featuring hundreds of media-based creatures and live-action special effects. www.knotts.com@knotts

Legoland California in Carlsbad, California, opens the Lego Star Wars Miniland Death Star. The attraction offers guests the chance to view iconic scenes made of Lego bricks that were filmed inside the Galactic Empire's space station. Lego models of Stormtroopers, a Rebel X-wing fighter pilot, and an Imperial Starship pilot are on display. Guests can use their imaginations to construct their own Lego spaceships at nearby building stations. Legoland also debuts Heartlake City. The new area is based on the Lego Group’s “Lego Friends” toy line, which focuses on the lives and personalities of five girls: Mia, Olivia, Andrea, Stephanie, and Emma. www.california.legoland.com@LEGOLAND_CA

Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey, California, opens a re-imagined “Mission to the Deep” exhibit. Visitors embark on a virtual deep-sea expedition featuring the tools and technology of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI). A scale model of a remotely operated vehicle highlights animals found in and equipment used to explore the nearly 2.5-mile-deep Monterey Canyon, simulated in a 360-degree video projection. A companion auditorium program further shares how MBARI explores the ocean and its deep-sea inhabitants. www.montereybayaquarium.org@MontereyAq

The San Diego Zoo in California opens a new habitatfor critically endangered snow leopards and Amur Leopards. The 16,500-square-foot area includes 5,500 square feet of multi-level living space with outcroppings, trees, and shrubs. www.zoo.sandiegozoo.org@sandiegozoo

Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California, near Los Angeles debuts the newly created “Twisted Colossus” wood hybrid coaster. The four-minute ride takes guests along nearly 5,000 feet of track includingnumerous exciting features such as a “Top Gun” element, where the coaster slows as it passes through a loop. Two trains are on the track at the same time and at certain points it will appear as if they are interacting with one another, even passing through overbank turns at the same time opposite each other. The coaster also features a zero-G roll and includes two lift hills as it blends steel track technology with an iconic wooden structure. www.sixflags.com/magicmountain@SFMagicMountain

Universal Studios Hollywood in Universal City, California, celebrates its 50th anniversary with enhancements to its Universal Studios Hollywood Studio Tour. The tour features nighttime operations where some sets such as the "Psycho" house have actors re-creating scenes, overhauled tram vehicles with ultra-high-definition monitors, and more comfortable seats. For the finale of the tour, trams go into a new 50,000-square-foot “Fast & Furious Supercharged” motion simulator, which uses a tunnel-like movie screen to create an immersive 3-D experience based on the popular movie franchise. The park also opens a “Simpsons”-themed area thatbrings Springfield, the fictional hometown of “The Simpsons,” to life with accompanying retail and restaurants next to the park's existing “The Simpsons Ride.” www.universalstudioshollywood.com@UniStudios

COLORADO

Cave of the Winds in Manitou Springs, Colorado, unveils the “TERROR-dactyl.” The ride sits on the edge of a 200-foot cliff in Williams Canyon. Riders are launched 200 feet into the canyon at nearly 100 mph and swing back and forth as they take in scenic views of the canyon. caveofthewinds.com@ManitouCaves

“SlideZilla,” a six-story hybrid slide debuts at Elitch Gardens Theme & Water Park in downtown Denver, Colorado. Four riders seated in a clover-shaped raft accelerate through a curved chute and into a swirling 24-foot tornado funnel and then unexpectedly drop 57 feet into a massive four-story-tall bowl. After cresting the water wall, the riders slide back down the wall to an exhilarating splashdown. www.elitchgardens.com@ElitchGardens

“Iron Mountain Hot Springs” opens at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Located on the bank of the Colorado River, the “Iron Mountain Hot Springs” features a family pool with an elevated section where parents can relax while watching kids play, eight smaller mineral water pools for soaking, and a warm creek with small pools along the way where guests can soak and slide in the iron-rich thermal spring water. A watch tower, reminiscent of one located on the site in the 1890s, reflects the property’s rich history. glenwoodcaverns.com@GlenwoodCaverns

“Dino Expedition” debuts at Lake Compounce in Bristol, Connecticut. The attraction includes various lifelike dinosaurs along a walking trail, an archaeological dig site where guests can search for a dinosaur skeleton in the sand, and the Dino Traders souvenir shop.www.lakecompounce.com@LakeCompounce

Quassy Amusement Park in Middlebury, Connecticut, introduces two new guest experiences in 2015. The thrilling “Frantic” swings riders back and forth, higher and higher, until it reaches full 360-degree flips. The park also adds “Collidoscope” bumper cars for kids between 36 and 48 inches tall. www.quassy.com@quassyamusement

Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, transforms Downtown Disney into Disney Springs, doubling the number of shops, restaurants, and other venues at the complex. The new area will open in phases starting in 2015 and include Morimoto Asia, a one-of-a-kind dining experience created by Chef Masaharu Morimoto of “Iron Chef America” fame. The two-story pan-Asian restaurant includes open terraces, a grand hall, private rooms, long bar, cocktail lounge, waterside seating, and more. Disney Springs also features The Boathouse, an upscale waterfront dining experience with live music, available water taxi tours, and a gourmet menu. disneyworld.disney.go.com/destinations/downtown-disney@WaltDisneyWorld

Disney’s Polynesian Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, reopens with refurbished guestrooms, an all-new childcare area called Lilo’s Playhouse, a completely renovated Nanea Volcano pool area, a new children’s water play area, and an enlarged deck to accommodate poolside seating. The renovated Great Ceremonial House lobby features open areas, plus the new Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto, a highly themed lounge area, an enhanced Captain Cooke’s quick service restaurant, the all-new Polynesian Pool Bar & Grill, and the Pineapple Lanai kiosk. disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts/polynesian-resort@WaltDisneyWorld

Fun Spot America in Orlando, Florida, adds “Space Invader” and a permanent version of “Air Race.” “Space Invader” swings guests back and forth while they are riding on seats attached to long metal poles. The “Air Race” flips riders in barrel rolls as they rotate around a central point on this carousel-style ride for thrillseekers. fun-spot.com/O_Orlando.aspx@FunSpotAmerica

I-Drive 360 in Orlando, Florida,brings together Merlin Entertainments’ attractions Madame Tussauds, Sea Life Aquarium, and the Orlando Eye. Madame Tussauds features wax figures of worldwide celebrities in music, sports, politics, science, and more. Sea Life Aquarium contains more than 5,000 creatures and learning experiences. The Orlando Eye Ferris wheel is 400-feet tall and offers scenic views of the surrounding area. The complex also includes Skeletons: A Museum of Osteology, which showcases 300 animal and human skeletons in a 7,500-square-foot exhibit space. www.i-driveorlando.com@I_Drive360@TussaudsOrlando@SEALIFEOrlando@theorlandoeye@SkeletonMuseum

Legoland Florida in Winter Haven, Florida, unveils its themed hotel and Heartlake City area. The 152-room hotel includes Lego-themed accommodations, a Master Model Builder Workshop exclusively for hotel guests and Legoland's Model Shop. Heartlake City, an attraction geared for girls, features the “Friends to the Rescue” show and “Mia's Riding Adventure” horse-themed spinning roller coaster.www.florida.legoland.com@LEGOLANDFlorida

The Orlando Science Center expands its KidsTown area. The 11,000-square-foot exhibit features hands-on activities that replicate real-world jobs for children under the age of 7. www.osc.org@orlandoscience

Six Flags Over Georgia in Austell, Georgia, brings Gotham City to life with “Harley Quinn Spinsanity” and a looping coaster, “The Joker Chaos Coaster.” On “The Joker Chaos Coaster,” 20 guests sit facing each other as they glide forward and backward looping multiple times seven stories in the air. On “Harley Quinn Spinsanity,” seven cars follow a circular track and each guest has the ability to spin their vehicle as much as they want before the end of the ride. Guests can also experience the “Batman: The Ride” roller coaster backwards for a limited time. www.sixflags.com/overgeorgia@SixFlags

The “Dive Bomber” water slide opens at Six Flags White Water near Marietta, Georgia. Guests stand in a clear capsule with a trap door, then the door opens and riders drop more than 100 feet at nearly 90 degrees in a zero-gravity experience. www.sixflags.com/whitewater@SF_WhiteWater

IDAHO

Triple Play Family Fun Park expands in Hayden, Idaho, to include a laser tag arena and 32-foot-tall indoor ropes course with attractions for all ages. The total expansion measures 8,750 square feet. www.3play.com/triple-play@tripleplayidaho

ILLINOIS

Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, Illinois, launches its “Regenstein Macaque Forest”exhibit. The exhibit's 7,000-square-foot enclosure is home to eight Japanese Macaque monkeys and includes a hot-water pool. The exhibit, which also includes a research area, is part of a roughly $16 million improvement project at the zoo. www.lpzoo.org@lincolnparkzoo

Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois, celebrates 40 years of thrills with upgrades to signature areas of the park, including the Carousel Plaza. The park also reintroduces three children's rides that existed when it first opened: the “Lady Bugs,” the “Red Baron Airplanes,” and the “Tots Livery Surrey Carriage.” www.sixflags.com/greatamerica@SFGreat_America

INDIANA

Holiday World and Splashin' Safari in Santa Claus, Indiana, introduces “Thunderbird” a first-of-its-kind launching wing coaster. The ride features a zero-to-60-mph launch followed by multiple inversions, including a barrel roll, a 14-story-Immelmann loop, and another loop 125 feet in the air. “Thunderbird” loops high in the air and then hugs the ground, surprising riders via near misses with keyholes, scenery, other rides, trees, and more. www.holidayworld.com@HolidayWorld

Great Wolf Lodge Kansas City in Kansas launches “The Clubhouse Crew.” In this experience, each guest designs a stuffed animal to help solve puzzles, complete challenges, and uncover the mystery of the missing acorns. www.greatwolf.com/kansascity/waterpark@GreatWolfLodge

KENTUCKY

Kentucky Kingdom in Louisville opens five rides: the suspended looping “T3-Terror to the Third Power” roller coaster, the “Raging River Raft Ride,” the “Enterprise”Ferris wheel, the 130-foot-tall “SkyCatcher” swinging gondola attraction, and the 360-degree rotating pendulum “Cyclos.”www.kentuckykingdom.com@KentuckyKingdom

The 2,700-square-foot “Living Seashore”exhibit, featuring touch pools, a replicated beach, and 150 animals, opens at the National Aquarium in Baltimore, Maryland. The exhibit is part of a $10.5 million upgrade to the attraction. www.aqua.org@NatlAquarium

Six Flags America near Washington, D.C., launches the “Bourbon Street Fireball.” This roller coaster takes up to 24 riders backward and forward through a 70-foot-tall, 360-degree loop. www.sixflags.com/america@SixFlagsDC

MASSACHUSETTS

Edaville USA, a family amusement park and heritage railroad located in South Carver, Massachusetts, opens Thomas Land. The new area covers 11.5 acres and boasts 14 rides based on “Thomas & Friends.” Thomas Land features a 20-minute long, scenic train ride on a life-sized Thomas the Tank Engine and theme park favorites, including a roller coaster, drop tower, Ferris wheel, soft-play area, and much more. www.edaville.com@EdavilleUSA

Great Wolf Lodge New England near Boston, Massachusetts, offers “The Clubhouse Crew” experience. Young guests design their own stuffed companions that help them complete challenges, solve puzzles, and investigate the mystery of the missing acorns. www.greatwolf.com/newengland/waterpark@GreatWolfLodge

Six Flags New England opens the “Wicked Cyclone” wood hybrid coaster at the Agawam, Massachusetts, park. The ride features a 109-foot hill, a 200-degree stall, and two zero-G rolls as thrill-seekers race along 3,320 feet of track, and reaches a top speed of 55 mph. www.sixflags.com/newengland@SixFlags

MICHIGAN

“The Clubhouse Crew” experience debuts at Great Wolf Lodge Traverse City in Michigan. Guests design their own stuffed companions that help them complete challenges, solve puzzles, and investigate the mystery of the missing acorns. www.greatwolf.com/traverse/waterpark@GreatWolfLodge

The new Sea Life Michigan Aquarium opens in Auburn Hills, Michigan, and houses more than 5,000 sea creatures, including sharks, sea horses, stingrays, and more. The 35,000-square-foot aquarium features a 180-degree underwater tunnel and a touch pool experience with starfish and crabs. www.visitsealife.com/michigan@SEALIFEMichigan

MINNESOTA

The Sea Life Minnesota Aquarium in Minneapolis completes a $2 million expansion that brings guests closer to stingrays with the “Stingray Adventure,” a 50-foot, 15,000-gallon touch pool. The aquarium opens “Pacific Northwest Touchpool” and adds a “Shipwreck” display, showcasing new varieties of fish. www.visitsealife.com/minnesota@SEALIFEMN

Valleyfair's Soak City water park in Shakopee, Minnesota, adds the multi-slide “Breakers Pipeline” complex, taking guests from 65 feet above ground in four tube slides and dropping them 90 feet on two speed slides. The park also opens the family-friendly “Barefoot Beach” splash pad, adding nearly one acre of water play attractions for young guests. www.valleyfair.com@ValleyfairMN

MISSOURI

Guests of the Kansas City Zoo in Kansas City, Missouri, get closer to orangutans in a new interactive exhibit that enables the popular primates to climb around the habitat. It also features observation platforms for guests and touchscreens that allow humans and the orangutans to interact in new ways. www.kansascityzoo.org@KansasCityZoo

Polar bears join the St. Louis Zoo in Missouri. The exhibit features a 22-foot viewing window for visitors, a 50,000-gallon saltwater pool, and a 1,000-square-foot Arctic cave room. The new exhibit accommodates a pair of adult polar bears and their offspring. www.stlzoo.org@stlzoo

The 10-attraction Fireman's Landing opens at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri, featuring six family rides and four interactive play zones, all saluting the spirit and training activities of volunteer firefighters. The park also launches a live basketball experience starring the world-famous Harlem Globetrotters. www.silverdollarcity.com@SDCAttractions

Six Flags St. Louis in Eureka, Missouri, launches the 3-D interactive dark ride attraction “Justice League: Battle for Metropolis,” in which guests take on a role as the Justice League Reserve Team and engage in a full-sensory journey with the Justice League heroes as they battle to save the city of Metropolis from villains Lex Luthor and the Joker. www.sixflags.com/stlouis@SFStLouis

NEBRASKA

The Lincoln Children's Zoo in Nebraska remodels its Galápagos tortoise exhibit to enable guests to interact with the animals and create a more conducive environment for animals to lay their eggs. www.lincolnzoo.org@LincolnZoo

NEVADA

“Slideboarding,” the first water slide integrated with a video game, opens at Wet’n’Wild Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada. Riders try to score points as they speed down a water slide flume equipped with lights, sounds, and colorful targets they try to hit using the raft's game controller handles. The water slide uses a smart gaming system that tracks a player's progress and score during their run down the chute.www.wetnwildlasvegas.com@Wetnwildlv

NEW JERSEY

Breakwater Beach on Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, adds two water slides and a wave pool, which is integrated into a new 36-hole mini-golf course. Casino Pier also offers a new drop tower and a larger go-kart track. casinopiernj.com @CasinoPier_BWB

Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey, adds its 13th roller coaster, “El Diablo,” a pendulum-style looping coaster. The park also adds two new year-round indoor haunt mazes: a 3-D black light experience, “Big Top Terror,” and the prison-inspired “Condemned.” www.sixflags.com/greatadventure@SFGrAdventure

Storybook Land in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, installs the tree-shaped “Out on a Limb!” children’s swing ride. The ride includes a custom-made squirrel that sits on top of it. storybookland.com@Storybook_Land

NEW YORK

Darien Lake in Darien Center, New York, unveils two new attractions. “Rolling Thunder” seats 32 riders on a coaster car as they go backward and forward through a seven-story vertical steel loop at 10 revolutions per minute. “Brain Drain” is a 70-foot-tall water slide with a launch capsule that drops guests on a 38-foot-per-second free fall. www.darienlake.com@DarienLake

Lake George, New York's Six Flags Great Escape introduces the Buccaneer Beach children's area in its Splashwater Kingdom water park. The pirate-themed kid-friendly water playground is stocked with a vast array of water games, pop-up spray jets, splash pads, and water slides. www.sixflags.com/greatescape@SixFlags

NORTH CAROLINA

The 325-foot-tall “Fury 325” giga coaster launches at Carowinds, located near Charlotte along the North Carolina-South Carolina border. The coaster reaches speeds up to 95 mph through a series of hills, curves, and quick transitions along a 6,602-foot track during the three-and-one-half-minute ride. The park also adds “Slingshot,” a two-person attraction in which a pair of cables catapults riders nearly 300 feet into the air at speeds up to 60 mph, flipping them until they come to rest at the ride’s launch point. Carowinds also unveils renovations to its front entrance. www.carowinds.com@CarowindsPark

Great Wolf Lodge Concord in North Carolina opens the “Howler’s Peak Ropes Course.” The 50-foot-tall ropes course includes ziplines, ropes, and wobbly bridges. The attraction also includes a smaller ropes course for younger children. The resort also debuts “The Clubhouse Crew,” a new experience where children design their own stuffed companions that help complete challenges, solve puzzles, and investigate the mystery of the missing acorns. www.greatwolf.com/concord/waterpark@GreatWolfLodge

OHIO

Coney Island in Cincinnati, Ohio, introduces a new thrill ride and kiddie bumper cars. The yet-to-be-named thrill ride swings in a back-and-forth pendulum motion sending riders in a 360-degree arc more than 35 feet in the air as the ride carriage spins in a clockwise rotation. The new kiddie bumper cars arena puts young guests in the driver's seat for a bumpy, bouncing adventure. coneyislandpark.com @ConeyIslandPark

Sandusky, Ohio's Cedar Point launches “Rougarou,” a floorless roller coaster based on a werewolf-like creature. The ride reaches speeds up to 60 mph and sends riders down a 137-foot dive and through four inversions. www.cedarpoint.com@cedarpoint

Great Wolf Lodge Mason,near Cincinnati, Ohio, launches “The Clubhouse Crew,” a new experience where children design their own stuffed companions that help complete challenges, solve puzzles, and investigate the mystery of the missing acorns. www.greatwolf.com/mason/waterpark@GreatWolfLodge

Great Wolf Lodge Sandusky in Ohio unveils “The Clubhouse Crew.” Children design their own stuffed animals that accompany and help them solve puzzles, complete challenges, and solve the mystery of the missing acorns. www.greatwolf.com/sandusky/waterpark@GreatWolfLodge

Kings Island in Mason, Ohio, unveils two new rides. “Woodstock Gliders,” a classic flying scooters ride, features eight two-person planes that glide 28 feet above the ground. As the planes begin to rotate, they fan out over a large area. Each plane has a moveable front wing that allows the guest to control the flight and alter their ride experience from mild to wild. “Snoopy’s Space Buggies” is designed for children of all ages and bounces guests in six four-seat vehicles while rotating in a circle. www.visitkingsisland.com@KingsIslandPR

The Toledo Zoo unveils its revamped aquarium after a $25.5 million renovation. The aquarium has 175,000 gallons of water, more than triple its previous 46,000-gallon capacity. The facility includes 32 main exhibits, including two touch tanks and a 90,000-gallon saltwater “Pacific Reef” display. www.toledozoo.org@ToledoZoo

OKLAHOMA

“Brain Drain,” a seven-story steel looping thrill ride, makes its way to Frontier City in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Twenty-four riders sit face-to-face as they rock back and forth before looping in a 360-degree revolution and stopping upside-down over 72 feet in the air. www.frontiercity.com@AskFrontierCity

PENNSYLVANIA

Camelback Mountain Resort in Tannersville, Pennsylvania, opens the 533,000-square-foot Aquatopia Indoor Water Park. The attraction features six pools, the “Bombroa Flowrider” indoor surfing simulator, 13 water slides, and an indoor water coaster, “Storm Chaser.” Aquatopia opens as part of the new 453-room Camelback Lodge. www.skicamelback.com@skicamelback

DelGrosso's Amusement Park, in Tipton, Pennsylvania, opens the “Rock Star,” a thrill ride that elevates riders 55 feet above the midway atop a rotating platform shaped like a guitar. Then, the platform whisks toward the ground in a free-fall motion. The ride also features a LED light show at night and seats 22 riders. www.mydelgrossopark.com@DelGrossosPark

Dorney Park in Allentown, Pennsylvania, unveils “Cedar Creek Flyers,” which features eight two-person carriages and sends guests flying 28 feet over the midway. Riders can take their flight from mild to intense as they control the thrill level using a moveable front wing. www.dorneypark.com@DorneyParkPR

“Bon Voyage Balloon Chase” debuts at Dutch Wonderland in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The ride can accommodate up to 32 guests and features eight spinning hot-air balloons with gondolas that can be rotated individually by riders using a center wheel. www.dutchwonderland.com@FUNatDW

Great Wolf LodgePocono Mountains in Pennsylvania unveils “Slideboarding,” a fusion of video game and water slide that challenges guests to hit corresponding buttons on their controller as they travel down the slide. The resort also launches “The Clubhouse Crew,” a new experience where children design their own stuffed companions that accompany them throughout a puzzle-solving mystery. www.greatwolf.com/poconos/waterpark@GreatWolfLodge

The “Laff Trakk Indoor Coaster,”a spinning glow-coaster, opens at Hersheypark in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The 70-second-long ride experience pays homage to funhouses of yesteryear. The family-friendly ride entertains guests with thrills from a 1,400-foot steel track, high-banked curves, camelback air time hills and curves, and an Immelman turn, as well as funhouse sights and sounds complete with glimpses of colorful characters and a dizzying hall of mirrors. www.hersheypark.com@Hersheypark

“Impulse,” a brand new steel roller coaster, makes its debut this spring at Knoebels Amusement Resort in Elysburg, Pennsylvania. The tower roller coaster features nearly 2,000 feet of track, a 98-foot-high chain lift hill, a 90-degree freefall drop, multiple inversions, speeds over 55 mph, three eight-passenger roller coaster cars, and more. “Impulse” is the first major steel roller coaster to open at Knoebels since 2005. www.knoebels.com@KozmoKG

The Amish Experience in Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania, debuts Magic Lantern Shows at the Plain and Fancy Theater. The theater provides audiences with a unique 19th-century entertainment experience popular before there were movies. Antique hand-painted images on glass are projected onto a large screen using a rare triple lantern. With music, special effect slides, and sound effects, a live showman interacts with the audience to bring the stories to life. The three shows presented in collaboration with the American Magic Lantern Theater are “Bible Stories,” “Patriotic America,” and “Victorian Christmas.” www.amishexperience.com

Undergoing the largest expansion in its history, Waldameer Park & Water World introducesits new“Giant Wave” pool. Located in a 3.5-acre addition, this wave pool holds 500,000 gallons of water and accommodates more than 1,000 people.www.waldameer.com@WaldaTweets

TENNESSEE

Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, opens its DreamMore Resort. The 60-acre, 307-room, family-friendly resort features a lazy river, a splash park, two pools, a restaurant, and quick food facility, a spa, a fitness room, lounge areas, a Kid’s Club area, and Dolly Parton’s suite. The resort also features scenic views of the Great Smoky Mountains. www.dollywood.com@Dollywood

Elvis Presley's Graceland opens the Guest House, a 450-room hotel on the attraction's grounds in Memphis, Tennessee. In addition to two restaurants and an event space, the hotel houses a 500-seat theater for live performances. www.graceland.com@VisitGraceland

TEXAS

Great Wolf Lodge Grapevine, near Dallas, Texas, unveils “The Clubhouse Crew,” a new experience where children design their own stuffed companions that help them complete challenges, solve puzzles, and investigate the mystery of the missing acorns. www.greatwolf.com/grapevine/waterpark@GreatWolfLodge

Six Flags Fiesta Texas in San Antonio launches “Batman: The Ride,” a 4-D spinning wing coaster that sends guests up a 120-foot elevator-type lift before releasing them on a multi-sensory journey. Riders are seated on both sides of the track as they experience six head-over-heels spins aided by new magnetic technology as well as two beyond-vertical freefalls. The ride also features a full-scale Batmobile, Bat Signal, and other special effects. www.sixflags.com/fiestatexas@SF_FiestaTexas

Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington opens “Justice League: Battle for Metropolis,” a 3-D interactive dark ride attraction in which guests take on the role of the Justice League Reserve Team and engage in a full-sensory journey with the Justice League heroes, battling against villains Lex Luthor, and the Joker. www.sixflags.com/overtexas@SixFlagsOverTX

Splash Kingdom Water Park opens in Nacogdoches, Texas. The park includes a lazy river, a 40-foot-tall slide tower with two body slides, a children's area, and a 21-foot-tall treehouse with sprayers, water slides, and more. www.splashkingdomwaterpark.com

“Switchback,” the first wooden shuttle coaster to be built in more than a century, opens at ZDT's Amusement Park in Seguin, Texas. The implementation of a switchtrack allows this coaster to run two trains simultaneously. The ride is locomotive-themed to celebrate the heritage of the park grounds. www.zdtsamusement.com

UTAH

Lagoon Park in Farmington, Utah, unveils the “Cannibal”roller coaster. The ride hoists guests up 208 feet on a vertical lift before a freefall at an angle of 116 degrees into an underground tunnel. www.lagoonpark.com@LagoonPark

VIRGINIA

Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg in Virginia debuts three new attractions. The resort unveils “Slideboarding,” a water slide experience integrated with a video game that challenges guests to hit corresponding targets on their controller as they travel down the slide. The “Howler’s Peak Ropes Course,” a 50-foot-tall ropes course with ziplines, ropes, and wobbly bridges, makes its debut. The resort also launches “The Clubhouse Crew,” a new experience where children design their own stuffed companions that accompany them throughout a puzzle-solving mystery. www.greatwolf.com/williamsburg/waterpark@GreatWolfLodge

Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia, expands its WaterWorks water park and renames it Soak City. The park adds “Paradise Plunge,” a 65-foot-tall water slide complex; Splash Island, a family-friendly splash zone with water slides and water jets for young guests; and various amenities to enhance the guest experience. www.kingsdominion.com@KingsDominionVA

WASHINGTON

Great Wolf Lodge Grand Mound in Washington debuts “The Clubhouse Crew.” Young guests design their own stuffed companions that help them complete challenges, solve puzzles, and investigate the mystery of the missing acorns. www.greatwolf.com/mason/waterpark@GreatWolfLodge

WEST VIRGINIA

River Riders in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, adds three new ropes courses to its Aerial Adventure Park that will challenge guests’ mental and physical skills. The park consists of a total of nine courses that feature more than 100 obstacles to climb through while reaching heights of up to 80 feet in the trees. A new kid’s course with a 700-square-foot treehouse also debuts this year. www.riverriders.com@RiverRiders

WISCONSIN

“The Clubhouse Crew” experience opens at Great Wolf Lodge Wisconsin Dells in Wisconsin. Young guests design their own stuffed companions that help them complete challenges, solve puzzles, and investigate the mystery of the missing acorns. www.greatwolf.com/dells/waterpark@GreatWolfLodge

CANADAALBERTA

“Timber Falls”, a new log ride, opens at Calaway Park in Calgary, Alberta. Guests travel through three sawmill-like buildings, plunge down a cascade drop, and zig-zag through a river section at speeds of up to eight feet per second. www.calawaypark.com@CalawayPark

BRITISH COLUMBIA

Pacific National Exhibition Playland in Vancouver, British Columbia, begins a 13-year expansion with the introduction of “The Beast” thrill ride. “The Beast” swings riders on a pendulum arm to angles of up to 120 degrees at heights up to 120 feet while traveling 55 mph and spinning 360-degree circles. www.pne.ca/playland

MANITOBA

“McFeetors Heavy Horse Centre” opens at Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The 4.7-acre project features a barn, pasture, paddocks, a carriage shed, and walking paths and is home to four Percheron horses throughout the year. www.assiniboinepark.ca@assiniboinezoo

ONTARIO

Canada's Wonderland in Vaughan, Ontario, adds new attractions to its 20-acre water park, with the addition of the “Typhoon” slide, featuring oscillating funnels and hairpin turns, and “Splash Station,” an interactive children's play area. www.canadaswonderland.com@WonderlandNews

Great Wolf Lodge Niagara Falls in Niagara Falls, Ontario, debuts “The Clubhouse Crew,” a new experience where children design their own stuffed companions that help them complete challenges, solve puzzles, and investigate the mystery of the missing acorns. www.greatwolf.com/niagara/waterpark@GreatWolfLodge

About IAAPA
The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) is the premier trade association for the attractions industry worldwide. Founded in 1918, IAAPA is the largest international trade association for permanently located amusement facilities and attractions and is dedicated to the preservation and prosperity of the attractions industry. IAAPA represents more than 4,800 attraction, supplier, and individual members from more than 90 countries. The association's global headquarters is in Alexandria, Virginia, United States, and it maintains regional offices in Brussels, Hong Kong, Mexico City, and Orlando. www.IAAPA.org@IAAPAHQ